Device and method for processing high-resolution image

1. A device comprising: a first image sensor configured to generate a first signal corresponding to an image having a first resolution in a first mode, a second signal corresponding to an image having a second resolution higher than the first resolution in a second mode, and frame information regarding a resolution, wherein the first mode and the second mode respectively determined based on a mode signal; a channel allocator configured to allocate the first signal and the second signal to different channels, of a plurality of channels, based on the frame information; and an image signal processor (ISP) comprising the plurality of channels, a first channel of the plurality of channels configured to process the first signal and a second channel of the plurality of channels configured to process the second signal, and wherein the ISP is configured to post-process image data processed by the plurality of channels.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first channel is configured to process the image having the first resolution, the second channel is configured to process the image having the second resolution, and the channel allocator is further configured to provide the first signal to the first channel in the first mode and provide the second signal to the second channel in the second mode.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the channel allocator comprises: a first multiplexer connected to the first channel and configured to receive the first signal and the second signal; and a second multiplexer connected to the second channel and configured to receive the first signal and the second signal.

4. The device of claim 3 , further comprising a second image sensor, wherein the channel allocator further comprises a selector configured to generate a selection signal, and wherein the selection signal controls the first and second multiplexers to commonly receive a signal output from any one of the first and second image sensors.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first image sensor is configured to generate the frame information in the form of a virtual channel ID or embedded data.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the virtual channel ID is based on a pre-determined channel standard.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the channel allocator is further configured to receive the virtual channel ID and determine a resolution from the received virtual channel ID based on the pre-determined channel standard.

8. A device comprising: an image sensor configured to generate a first signal corresponding to an image having a first resolution in a first mode, a second signal corresponding to an image having a second resolution higher than the first resolution in a second mode, and frame information regarding a resolution, wherein the first mode and the second mode respectively determined based on a mode signal; a channel allocator configured to allocate the first signal and the second signal to different channels, of a plurality of channels, based on the frame information; an image signal processor (ISP) comprising the plurality of channels, a first channel of the plurality of channels configured to process the first image and a second channel of the plurality of channels configured to process the second image, and configured to generate a third signal as a result of post-processing the first signal, and generate a fourth signal as a result of post-processing the second signal; a memory subsystem comprising a first memory in which the third signal is temporarily stored and a second memory in which the fourth signal is temporarily stored; a controller configured to generate the mode signal and apply the mode signal corresponding to the second mode to the image sensor in response to a capture command; a display unit configured to load and display at least one of the third signal and the fourth signal for a user to preview the image having the first resolution; and a capture unit configured to load the fourth signal based on the capture command to generate the image having the second resolution.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein, at a first time period, the controller is further configured to receive the capture command and issue, as the mode signal, a command to change a photographing mode of the image sensor from the first mode to the second mode based on the capture command, at a second time period before a change to the second mode is completed and later than the first time period, the image sensor is further configured to generate the first signal, the channel allocator is further configured to allocate the generated first signal to the first channel, the ISP is further configured to generate the third signal and transmit the third signal to the first memory, and the display unit is further configured to load and display the third signal from the first memory, at a third time period later than the second time period, the image sensor is further configured to complete the change to the second mode and generate the second signal, the channel allocator is further configured to allocate the generated second signal to the second channel, the ISP is further configured to generate the fourth signal and transmit the fourth signal to the second memory, and the capture unit is further configured to load the fourth signal from the second memory to generate the image of the second resolution, and lower the resolution of the fourth signal to store the fourth signal in the first memory, and at a fourth time period after the second signal is generated by the image sensor and later than the third time period, the controller is further configured to issue, as the mode signal, a command to change the photographing mode from the second mode to the first mode.

10. The device of claim 8 , wherein, at a first time period, the controller is further configured to issue, as the mode signal, a command to change a photographing mode of the image sensor from the first mode to the second mode, at a second time period before a change to the second mode is completed and later than the first time period, the image sensor is further configured to generate the first signal, the channel allocator is further configured to allocate the generated first signal to the first channel, the ISP is further configured to generate the third signal and transmit the third signal to the first memory, and the display unit is further configured to load and display the third signal from the first memory, at a third time period later than the second time period, the image sensor is changed to the second mode to generate the second signal, the channel allocator is further configured to allocate the generated second signal to the second channel, and the ISP is further configured to generate the fourth signal and transmit the fourth signal to the second memory, at a fourth time period later than the third time period, the controller is further configured to receive the capture command, and the capture unit is further configured to load the fourth signal from the second memory to generate the image of the second resolution, and the first memory is further configured to store the fourth signal lowered, at a fifth time period later than the fourth time period, the controller is further configured to issue, as the mode signal, a command to change the photographing mode back to the first mode, at a sixth time period later than the fifth time period, the image sensor is further configured to complete the change to the first mode, and the capture unit is further configured to continue to generate the image of the second resolution until the change to the first mode is completed.

11. The device of claim 8 , wherein the first channel is configured to process the image having the first resolution, the second channel is configured to process the image having the second resolution, and the channel allocator is further configured to provide the first signal to the first channel in the first mode and provide the second signal to the second channel in the second mode.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the channel allocator comprises: a first multiplexer connected to the first channel and configured to receive the first signal and the second signal; and a second multiplexer connected to the second channel and configured to receive the first signal and the second signal.

13. The device of claim 8 , wherein the image sensor is configured to generate the frame information in the form of a virtual channel ID or embedded data.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the virtual channel ID is based on a pre-determined channel standard.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the channel allocator is further configured to receive the virtual channel ID and determine a resolution from the received virtual channel ID based on the pre-determined channel standard.

16. An image processing method comprising: generating a first signal corresponding to an image having a first resolution in a first mode; generating a second signal corresponding to an image having a second resolution higher than the first resolution in a second mode; generating frame information in the form of a virtual channel ID based on a predetermined channel standard; and determining a resolution of an image frame based on the frame information and allocating the first signal and the second signal to different channels based on the determined resolution.

17. The image processing method of claim 16 , wherein the generating of the first signal and the second signal comprises: at a first time period, issuing a change command to change a photographing mode from the first mode to the second mode based on a capture command; at a second time period before a change to the second mode is completed and later than the first time period, generating the first signal; and at a third time period later than the second time period, based on the issued change command, completing the change of the photographing mode to the second mode and generating the second signal.

18. The image processing method of claim 17 , wherein the allocating comprises: at the second time period, allocating the generated first signal to a first channel; at the third time period, allocating the generated second signal to a second channel; and at a fourth time period immediately after generating the second signal and later than the third time period, changing the photographing mode back to the first mode.

19. The image processing method of claim 16 , wherein the generating of the first signal and the second signal further comprises: at a first time period, issuing a first change command to change a photographing mode to the second mode; at a second time period still before a change to the second mode is completed and later than the first time period, generating the first signal; and at a third time period later than the second time period, based on the issued first change command, completing the change of the photographing mode to the second mode and generating the second signal.

20. The image processing method of claim 19 , wherein the allocating comprises: at the second time period, allocating the generated first signal to a first channel; at the third time period, allocating the generated second signal to a second channel; at a fourth time period later than the third time period, receiving a capture command and generating the image of the second resolution; continuously generating the image of the second resolution until the photographing mode is changed to the first mode; at a fifth time period later than the fourth time period, issuing a second change command to change the photographing mode back to the first mode; and at a sixth time period later than the fifth time period, completing the change of the photographing mode to the first mode based on the issued second change command.